Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 20, 2019 for the grant of a 30 percent evaluation for service-connected dizziness was granted.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, but remanded the issue of a low back disability for further development.

The appeal was dismissed because the proposed changes in effective dates had not been finalized at the time of the Veteran's notice of disagreement.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine to include degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) based on the evidence showing that forward flexion has been limited to no less than 45 degrees, which is greater than the 30 degrees required for a higher rating.

The appeal for an earlier effective date of September 26, 2023, was dismissed as moot because the benefit sought had already been granted.

The Board denied service connection for a scar on the right big toe region and denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, including right hip strain and right knee osteoarthritis. The Board also remanded several issues for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded claims for chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and cervical degenerative arthritis with right upper extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient evidence.

The Board remands the claims for initial increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the fingers due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for sarcoidosis from February 28, 2023, and denied higher ratings for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board granted an effective date of October 24, 2022 for the assignment of a 40 percent rating for service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with muscle spasm and 20 percent ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve).

The Board remands the claims for further evaluation of the Veteran's right and left knee osteoarthritis due to deficiencies in a recent VA examination report.

The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, considering that his service-connected orthopedic disabilities and major depressive disorder contributed substantially to his death.

The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 60 percent for left knee disability to obtain Social Security records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left knee strain post meniscectomy with degenerative arthritis and ankylosis, degenerative disc disease lumbar spine with stenosis and disc bulge, limitation of extension of the right knee, chronic right knee strain, impairment of the knee, residuals of left fractured ribs, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a scar associated with the left knee, were productive of functional impairment which precluded substantially gainful employment from January 26, 2015 through September 21, 2017.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, but denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for femoral nerve radiculopathy and higher ratings for back disability with IVDS and right shoulder disability.

The veteran withdrew all appeals, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review them.

The Board remands the claims for revision of an April 2017 rating decision that denied service connection for TBI and a February 2020 rating decision that reduced the Veteran's disability rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis, both on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches and variants, finding no evidence of a direct link to service or aggravation by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claim for cervical spine degenerative arthritis was remanded for readjudication based on new evidence linking obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's right knee joint osteoarthritis, limitation of extension, as the evidence did not support a finding that the condition warranted a rating greater than 10 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, to include degenerative arthritis, as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no medical nexus between the current condition and his military service.